On the beat — with bite

Two new crime-fighting duos with some extra bite are about to hit the beat in the Mid and Far North.

Constable Alan Duncan and 21-month-old police dog Yawk, and Constable Josh Van Der Kwaak and 20-month-old Caesar, graduated from the New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre in Trentham as operational patrol teams last week.

Yawk is the third canine sidekick for Constable Duncan, who has been a dog handler for seven of his 13 years in the force. His most recent dog, eight-year-old Zarr, is about to retire with a former handler in Dunedin.

Constable Van Der Kwaak, who joined the force six years ago, is new to the dog squad.

A former Northland officer, Cam Mullenger, who was stationed in Whanga¯rei and spent time as an acting sergeant in Dargaville, is also about to have his first taste of policing with a dog in Wellington, having graduated with two-year-old Loki.

Head of Northland’s police dog section, Sergeant Bruce McLeod, said the new canine recruits had been fostered in Northland as pups, and he was delighted their careers would continue in the region.

The new units restored Northland’s dog section to full strength — not good news for criminals.

“There will always be a dog and handler working across the region, giving us better coverage and quicker response times,” he said.